Victor Newman: The Eric Braeden Project – A Conversation with Eric Braeden
Instantly recognized as The Young and the Restless’ Victor Newman, one of pop culture’s most iconic soap opera characters, Eric Braeden has had a long and illustrious career for over fifty years. Originally from Germany, Eric Braeden began his career using his real name, Hans Gudegast, and became a frequent guest star on a number of television programs throughout the 1960’s, primarily playing villains. This lead to his first regular role as Captain Hans Dietrich on TV’s The Rat Patrol . It was for the 1970 film Colossus: The Forbin Project that he reluctantly changed his name to Eric Braeden. Along with being the most prolific actor to play TV villains during the 1970′s, Eric also appeared in film such as 100 Rifles and Escape From the Planet of the Apes before landing the role of Victor Newman in 1980. Originally intended to be a short acting job, thirty years later Eric Braden is still playing Victor Newman which has earned him a Daytime Emmy, a People’s Choice Award and has made him a soap opera legend. Politically passionate, in June 2010 Eric Braeden talked to PCA about the problems in the Middle East, the state of politics in America, social injustice, the World Cup, his latest film project The Man Who Came Back, his Germanic heritage, his long career in Hollywood and, of course, his ongoing role as soap opera’s Black Knight. T0day at PCA we proudly present our interview with one of televisions most beloved character actors!
Los Angeles based comedian Heather McDonald’s first book, You’ll Never Blue Ball In This town Again, is truly a different kind of memoir. McDonald tells us the story of her life, from her days at the Universtiy of Southern California to a career as a noteable comedian and comedy writer, via her stories about all the guys that she never had sex with. That’s right. Each chapter of her life story revolves around one, or two (and sometimes three) different failed relationships that never went ‘all the way.” Although spending her youth as a party girl in one of the shallowest cities in the US, Heather McDonald held on to her virginity until the age of 27! Was it because she had sexual issues? Was she in a convent? Oh no. It’s not that complex. According to Heather, she wanted “the one” to be the “right one,” but in the shallow and vain backdrop of Los Angeles, that often meant that the right one didn’t just have to be the man of her dreams, but also had to be handome, rich and successful. But does such a man even exist?
This week we follow special PCA correspondent Janet Hetherington from the front lines of the San Diego Comic Con!
Elvira’s reign as “Queen of Halloween” began in 1981 and has now spanned nearly three decades. It includes two feature films, an IMAX film, long-running syndicated television series and two motion control rides. She appeared in national advertising campaigns for Pepsi and Coors, recorded five music CDs, published four books and licensed over 400 products, including three pinball machines, BC Rich guitars, three comic book series, Elvira’s “Night Brew” beer, “Evil” perfume and the best-selling female Halloween costume of all time.
POP CULTURE ADDICT NOTE: Forget The Avengers Movie news. The return of Elvira’s Movie Macabre is possibly the most exciting news from the San Diego Convention! The original version of Elvira’s Movie Macabre, along with Buffalo New York based 
This week we follow special PCA correspondent Janet Hetherington from the front lines of the San Diego Comic Con!
On Friday night, Bill Morrison (Bongo Comics), one of this year’s master of ceremonies for the 2010 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, encouraged a packed crowd at the Hilton Bayside Indigo Room to check out the Eisner-nominated comics at the show. For the full list of nominees, visit the Comic-Con website (
POP CULTURE ADDICT NOTE: Thanks for picking up my Dark Shadow figures for me Janet! Whoo hoo! Saves buying them from e-bay! Barnabas Collins can kick Edward Cullen’s butt! You’re the greatest! - Sam Tweedle
Easily one of the strangest moments of my career was when I got between Herman and one of the Hermits.
My search lead me to Barry Whitwam, original drummer for Herman’s Hermits, who currently fronts a second Hermanless group that also calls themselves Herman’s Hermits based out of the UK. Astonished by the idea of a Herman’s Hermits without Peter Noone, I sent an e-mail to Barry, as well to Peter Noone, asking the questions “How can Herman’s Hermits exist without a Herman, and how can Herman’s Hermits exist without the Hermits?” Barry Whitwam was the first to respond and agreed to explain all in an interview. My interview with Barry Whitwam would prove to be the first North American based interview Barry had done since the 1960’s. In the days to come Barry went me a number of scans and attachments, including interviews and original court documents proving that he, as well as the now deceased Hermits guitarist Derek “Lek” Leckenby, legally held the rights to the name Herman’s Hermits. In a phone interview Barry proved to be an eloquent and well spoken gentleman who explained an untold history of Herman’s Hermits, from the birth of the group, to the infighting and, finally, the legal battles between Peter Noone and the rest of the group. Barry spoke quite harshly of Peter, putting forth a different face of the charming fan favorite, exposing him as an arrogant and often mean spirited megalomaniac. 
Barry Whitwam’s interview proved to be controversial. Peter Noone has a devoted group of fans calling themselves “Noonatics” and they quickly ate up the interview and flooded the PCA inbox with angry e-mails. Some of the e-mails were just venomous hate mail with little critical thinking, but others were quite eye opening and touching. I came to respect Peter Noone’s fans, and admired the way the fan community rallied around the singer. Finally the fateful day came when I got an e-mail from Herman himself. To say the least Peter Noone was pretty upset about the interview. After a handful of random angry e-mails from Peter, I myself began to see the true face of Peter Noone. In one truly bizarre moment, Peter Noone challenged me to a charity boxing match so he could legally kick my ass. The majority of the e-mails were too strange or insulting to print, and sit in a file where they will sit…as long as Peter Noone is alive anyways. However, still having respect for Peter’s body of work, his legacy on the pop culture journey as well as his passionate fan base, I gave Peter the chance to tell his own version of the story. After turning me down a number of times, Peter eventually agreed that he’d do an e-mail interview. I sent him a series of hard hitting questions based upon the strongest accusations made by Barry and he responded to all of them. Peter Noone’s version of the stories doesn’t always match Barry’s, but he put his own spin on things. What my interview with Peter Noone revealed was a different side to him rarely seen to the public. Blunt, unapologetic and confrontational, Peter Noone said it like he saw it.
I learnt a number of lessons from my Herman’s Hermits drama. First, never get between two warring fractions of a band. In the years since I had the opportunity to write a similar expose on another 60’s group with bitter blood between former members but chose to walk away from the opportunity. Also, I learnt that everybody has a story to tell and each side has a different point of view. The only way to come to the truth is to look at all the evidence and come to your own conclusions. In the end I feel that Barry Whitwam’s story has the most merit, and I myself experienced the wrath of Peter Noone. However, there is no denying the talent and charisma of Peter and the musical franchise that he has created. He is, and will forever be, the face and voice of Herman’s Hermits. But in the end what is the most important isn’t who deserves to call themselves Herman’s Hermits as much as the music that they made during the 1960’s and the way it makes you feel and plays in your memories. 
They Drive by Night (1940)
